November 2003
Information Update

The Educational Welfare Act, 2000 is now fully commenced and the National Educational Welfare Board has been established. The Board is required to ensure that every child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives an appropriate education.

To discharge its responsibilities, the Board will develop a nationwide service that is accessible to schools, parents/guardians and others concerned with the welfare of young people. For this purpose, Educational Welfare Officers (EWOs) will be appointed and deployed throughout the country to provide a welfare-focused service to support regular school attendance and discharge the Board’s functions locally.

The new service will be developed on a phased basis and in accordance with the resources provided commencing in the current school year. The provision of a national educational welfare service involves the putting in place of appropriate management and service delivery structures throughout the country. A management team has been put in place to plan and manage the development of the new national service.

Appointment of Chief Executive Officer

Mr Eddie Ward has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Board.

Management staff

The following management staff have been appointed:

Ms Jill Leonard Director of Corporate Services
Mr Seamus Kelly Director of Educational Services
Ms Mairead Nalty Human Resources and Training Manager
Mr Neil Ryan I.T. Manager
Mr Seamus McSorley Facilities/Services Manager

A Finance manager will be appointed shortly.

Financial allocation for 2003 and 2004

The Board was allocated a budget of €5.4m for 2003. A programme of work for 2003 was submitted to the Minister outlining the Board’s priorities for action this year including staff recruitment and service development.

The proposed allocation for 2004 is €5.7m. No new staff recruitment would be possible if this allocation is not increased. The budgetary process is not yet complete and it is hoped that additional funding will be forthcoming to allow for expansion of the service next year.

Programme of Work for 2003

The main priorities for 2003 are to:

• Establish a local educational welfare service in the most disadvantaged areas of the State i.e. areas and towns designated under RAPID
• Provide a response in urgent cases i.e. where a child is permanently without an education
• Establish register for children educated in settings outside of recognised schools
• Develop service for 16-17 year olds who leave school to enter employment
• Develop guidelines for schools on a range of issues in relation to school attendance
• Review procedures at school level for recording, monitoring and reporting on school attendance
• Develop Strategic Plan for new service
• Commence a public information programme on the legislation and the new service

Fifty three Educational Welfare staff have been appointed to date. This includes 29 former school attendance officers who transferred to the Board from the pre-existing service. An additional fifteen staff will join the service over the next two months or so to bring the number of service delivery staff to sixty eight.

New staff are currently in training and will take up duty in their new districts in the first week of December when they will commence visiting schools in their assigned areas.

Distribution of educational welfare staff

The new national service will be structured on a regional basis. In 2003, the country will be divided into five regions. In this initial stage of the development of the new service, a local intensive service will be provided in the most disadvantaged areas i.e. those areas in the RAPID programme and/or areas identified under Department of Education & Science programmes for the disadvantaged. The distribution of staff in the new national service will be announced shortly. Priority will also be given to urgent cases especially where children are not currently receiving an education.

Education Outside of recognised schools

Parents of children who educate their children at home or who attend non recognised schools must apply to the Board to have the child registered. Registration takes place when the Board is satisfied that the education being provided is of a satisfactory standard.

The Minister for Education & Science has published Guidelines on the assessment of Education in places other than recognised schools. These Guidelines will inform the work of the Board. A small number of authorised persons have been trained by the Board to carry out education assessments. An information leaflet and an application form are being prepared for issue to families who are involved in this form of education.

Consultation

The Board has established a School Implementation Group comprised of managers, principals, teachers and parents to advise it on school related matters. This Group gives the Board the benefit of knowledge and expertise that exists at school level. A work programme by the Group has been drawn up and is being advanced.

Headquarters

It has been decided that the Board’s permanent head office will be 16-22 Green Street, Dublin7. Dublin based educational welfare staff will also be based at this address. These offices will become operational from January 2004.

Strategic Plan

The Board will develop an overall strategic plan to guide the development of the new service during the early years of its operation. The plan will identify priorities, values and timescales for the phasing in of the new service.

Information

The Board is anxious that information concerning the Act and the Board is made available to schools, parents and others as soon as possible. An introductory letter was issued to all schools in March.

Guidelines are being prepared for schools on the reporting of student absences and a protocol outlining the interaction between schools and educational welfare staff is being developed.

An information leaflet has been prepared for distribution to parents of children of school going age.

A website has been established (www.newb.ie). It contains basic information concerning the Board and is updated regularly. The Board also has an email address (info@newb.ie).

Eddie Ward
Chief Executive Officer